|| 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐊𝐀 ||~ 𝓪𝓷 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓾𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮

𝟐• 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 ~

Shivi :

Twang—
Throwing the slim sharp stick on the stand, the fair maiden sits on the staircase's landing of the weapon hall. The fine brown curls of her hair coming out from her braid and gap of pearl jewels fall over her fair face. Rounding her arms over her knee, she rests her head on it.

"What has happened with Rajkumari Devika today? She is looking disturbed!" A manly voice softly calls tracing a gentle tone of laugh.

"Don't laugh, pitashree! I am disturbed, angry, annoyed, and many more!" She, the princess of Shivi, Devika gets up abruptly and looks at her father.

"Putri", he holds her shoulder. "I can't believe this, you are so calm minded, then, why this hasty today? Anything serious?"

Devika lows her face. Clutching her silk pink cloak, she wipes the sweat droplets residing on her forehead, neck and arms. Then, lifting her eyes, she pouts her pink lips. "I can't able to learn this weapon."

Her father, Govasana laughs aloud. Pressing her chin, he says, "My daughter has just physically grown up, but, her behaviour is still like child."

Devika pouts more, rolling her broad kohl-lined black eyes.

"Tell me, which one?" He says. "I think you know sword, archery, dagger and knife at kitchen too, then?"

"No no, not sword or—" Devika impatiently says. She herself don't know why she is becoming so impatient today. More after looking at the weapon especially. The thin, rounded, long and strong silvery body with a crown like curved sharp edge point at top, like it itself standing courageously emphasizing own greatness. Devika raises her index finger of her right finger, then straightening she points towards the corner stand, where in series that weapons are resting. "Spear—" she speaks.

"Spear!" Govasana astonishingly remain looking at his daughter. "W-why spear-r now?" He slowly says. Shivi is a kingdom where sword has great emphasis. He himself is vividly skilled in it, and then predominantly mace, archery, dagger etc. But spear! Here rarely anyone practiced and no one is much skilled in it.
"Whom have you seen it practicing?" He asks curving his eyes.

"I don't know Pitashree, but I have seen, don't know whom, I can't say, but I have seen." Devika softly replies. A translucent scene appear in front of her eyes. She can't recall where she has seen, but, in her canvas of mind looking at this weapon especially, every time she looks at, this scene emerges out. 

Amidst the wood, a floating blue cloak clearing the view of a broad shoulder, the fair back, muscular arms on which the golden ornaments are camouflaging perfectly, so much bright fair his complexion is. The morning sunshine penetrating through the canopy of leaves is falling over his body. The black hair upto his shoulder is ruffling due to his motion. He holding that spear on his right hand is rotating, and with left hand maintaining balance, he is turning his body. Then with a swift movement, a gust of wind blows, as soon as he turn towards her, his appearance vanishes—

Devika smiles. Like the way, the jasmine spreads it's aroma, in that manner, her smiles spread over her face, joy dances throughout her each and every movement and her eyes glitters, making her lost in thought of that man with spear, somehow her heart is determining to find him and see his face with her overflowing gaze.

"Devika!" Her father's voice pops her thoughts. "What has become to think so much?"

Her lost in thoughts and being caught up brings a gentle embarassement to her. It's none of so, but, combining with that man's dreamy appearance she herself doesn't able to figure out when her cheeks turns red and eyelashes starts to feel heavy to low.

"Nothing Pitashree" she slowly says.

"Nothing?" Govasana curves his eyes. "Then before you said that you have seen?" Resting his affectionate palm on her head, "Putri, tell me, where you have seen? Otherwise how would I able to know!"

Devika remain bending her eyelashes. It's feeling of shyness letting her enamore inside preventing her to say a single word, or if she starts saying, then what would she say? She had seen a dream and that craziness is driving her! Thinking about that too she is feeling awkward that she is not a little girl now whose nagging would start from a dream, but again how can she make anyone believe that, there lives some intuitions in dreams.

"Pitashree, just, not so–" she bits her lips. "Will explain you later." And looking innocently at him, she steps back and runs away from the weapon hall.

The anklets of hers resonates in the air, so as the soothing ringing of her wrist-ful bangles, her waistband, earrings to headbands, the pink veils of her swirl in the air, yet she remain rushing through the corridors, no one ever has seen their princess Devika in so agile manner.

"Kumari, kumari—" her companions looking her like that rushes behind her. "Stop, stop." They hold her to stop. "What happened, Kumari?"

Devika lows her eyes again, adorning that similar smile.

"Kumari—" looking at her smile, everyone smirks a laughter. "Something not regular, we can guess. Who has come?"

Again, at a glance Devika's eyes flashes that golden hued man. "Someone, I don't know, but I wanna know." She murmurs.

"Anything?" Curious companions with giggles ask again.

Devika turns serious. With a pleading eyes she glares them. "Would you know anyone, anything which could solve my problem, could tell me is my feel is right or not?"

"But what are you feeling so?" They replies in chorus. "If you are not hinting even us, then near whom you gonna say?"

Devika leans on the nearby sandstone wall. Looking straight, the south sky is reflecting it's calm blue color in her hazel orbs. No tint of clouds is present, no flow of air is felt, only a soothing cool feel is sensed, which is making a different shivering to her.

"I saw a dream." She confesses.

All those curious friends of hers fixes their eyes on hers in a silent manner.

"There I saw someone" she continues. "A man." Her smile returns again, more broadly, "her complexion was fair golden, has black-brown wavy hairs, muscular body, white cloak was hanging from her shoulder, and holding a spear he was practicing in the amidst of woods."

"Then, who was he? Any prince?" One of the companion asks.

"I haven't seen his face."

"Then what's making you feel different?"

"I don't know- I don't know! I feel connected, just—" she stammers. 'Connected' word itself very deep and connected, the same connection it's holding, that connection she is feeling with that unknown man.

"Are you in love with him, Kumari?" They rolls their eyes.

But, Devika remains same. "I don't know, I don't know" she replies. She could deliberately speak 'No' to them, but, again an obstruction. "I haven't feel love before, fell in love before." She utters.

~✿~